Overly cheap kerosene had delayed the laying of gas pipelines, which in turn had held back the development of the entire gas system.
Franz had originally considered making money by selling gas cylinders, but limited by the technology and materials of the era, gas cylinders were outrageously expensive.
Small gas cylinders were not entirely useless, however. They could supply the military and exploration teams. Gas was convenient and quick, and at critical moments could even be used as a weapon. The military brass were all very satisfied.
The soldiers needed no further convincing. Being able to eat a hot meal was better than anything.
For now, Franz could only establish gas companies in several major cities. It was completely impossible to promote them in small and medium-sized cities, let alone smaller areas.
Historically, the British had invented the gas stove as early as 1826, yet over the following fifty years, fewer than 10 percent of Britons chose to use one.
It was not until 1869, when a British engineer fitted it with a rubber hose and upgraded the ignition system, that within less than ten years, 50 percent of Britain's urban residents had chosen gas stoves.
In truth, the technological sophistication of the upgraded gas stove was not particularly high. Franz did not understand the relevant technology, but he knew what gas stoves looked like in later generations.
Thus, under Franz's guidance, the Austrian Empire's gas stoves swiftly completed a generational upgrade. The new gas stoves already bore several traces of their later counterparts.
Easy to operate, cost-effective, quick, flexible, and allowing users to control the heat freely, they soon spread through core cities such as Vienna, Prague, Venice, Milan, and Lemberg.
Naturally, gas stoves also drew much criticism. Some traditional chefs believed they lacked the fragrance of burning wood.